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Post by jon hynes on Feb 18, 2011 22:06:22 GMT -5
Here is a picture of 16 year old Emil playing at the Forest Hotel. With Emil is Gary Flagg on guitar, Ted Crabas on sax and Rod Supiro on drums. Rod, I immediately recognized that knotty pine post in the photo of the bandstand of the Forest. I think reconstruction must have intervened between when I played there and this photo was taken, because the bandstand looks much larger than I remember it. In fact, I'd say the Forest had the smallest one I ever played on, with the piano on the back wall so my back was always to the audience, except when the place filled up I could smile at the girls over near the door to my left. The only smaller band area I remember was in (Jon always has to help me remember the name of this place) Little Falls near he main drag in a basement bar down a stairway. That was The Corner Tavern owned by Stewie Balderston. It was on the opposite side of the street from The Green Gables and Main Street. |
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Post by rod supiro on Feb 18, 2011 22:08:43 GMT -5
Dave........I think the basement club your talking about was the Corner Tavern...I also remember and old bath tub with legs in front of the stage filled with ice and beer....I'm talking about maybe 1959-1960....always had ice cold beer in my trap case
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Post by rod supiro on Feb 18, 2011 22:12:19 GMT -5
when the renegades played the forest we sometimes had two horns as well as the core four...we made it work..........lol
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Post by bobbbiez on Feb 18, 2011 23:25:28 GMT -5
Here is a picture of 16 year old Emil playing at the Forest Hotel. With Emil is Gary Flagg on guitar, Ted Crabas on sax and Rod Supiro on drums. Rod, I immediately recognized that knotty pine post in the photo of the bandstand of the Forest. I think reconstruction must have intervened between when I played there and this photo was taken, because the bandstand looks much larger than I remember it. In fact, I'd say the Forest had the smallest one I ever played on, with the piano on the back wall so my back was always to the audience, except when the place filled up I could smile at the girls over near the door to my left.  Yes Rod, spending a lot of time at the Forest Hotel I remember it exactly the way you described it as long as I can remember. They did have a fire there but can't remember what it looked like after they remodeled. I thought it was pretty much the same lay out.  By any chance do you remember the name of the group from Rome/Syracuse who use to play at the Forest often. Their drummer was a guy called Augie and Joey (real young kid) was on the horn and they had a black singer who was fantastic. I wanna say the singer's name was little Ray, but not sure. I think the band was named after the singer. I can't remember the name of their band for the life of me. Hope you can.  |
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Post by dgriffin on Feb 18, 2011 23:30:16 GMT -5
Thank you, Jon and Rod. Yes, the Corner Tavern. But I don't remember the tub of beer. And believe me, I would if THAT happened while I was there. |
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Post by rod supiro on Feb 19, 2011 11:36:46 GMT -5
sunshine.......I think the group your talking about was Little Ray and the Blazers......I think they were air force guys..........we had several battle of the bands with them at the Parkway Gardens........I always enjoyed watching them
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Post by bobbbiez on Feb 19, 2011 12:25:11 GMT -5
Yes Rod, right on! Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I have been trying to think of their name for so long now and just couldn't pull it out of my memory. They were a fantastic group with a hugh following, me and my friends included. They played at the Forest a lot. In my time, they were almost the house band there for quite a while. Ray had a great singing voice and the guys in the band were super. Years later I was in the process of selling my first house in W.Utica on Stark St across from the college and I thought the buyer looked familiar. Eventually as we talked it turned out to be Augie the drummer. He was buying my house for his son and his son's college friends. That was a nice surprise meeting him again after all those years that passed. The group then had split up and Augie wasn't doing much in the music field anymore. Sad, because they were great group. Thanks again for giving my mind a rest and for having a better memory then me. ;D
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Post by rod supiro on Feb 19, 2011 13:52:53 GMT -5
bobbbiez..........they really were a great group.........glad I could give your mind a rest........lol
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Post by bobbbiez on Feb 19, 2011 22:23:47 GMT -5
Would love to see a picture of them. Maybe our history wiz here, Jon, can find one and post it. How bout it Jon? ;D
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Post by dgriffin on Feb 19, 2011 23:53:38 GMT -5
There's a band on My Space named White Blue Yellow and Clouds who list among their influences Suzy and the Nobels and Little Ray and the Blazers. There may have been a few bands by that name.
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Post by bobbbiez on Feb 20, 2011 1:53:42 GMT -5
Dave, did it say where they were from? I know the guys in the Band, Little Ray and The Blazers, who played at the Forest were from the Rome/Syracuse area.
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Post by rod supiro on Feb 20, 2011 15:52:27 GMT -5
bobbbiez.........I think most of the guys were in the air force and stationed at GAFB in Rome. The sad news is they could have been transfered any place in the world.
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Post by bobbbiez on Feb 20, 2011 20:54:06 GMT -5
I think the guys were still from here locally, Rome/Syracuse area. I know Augie lives in Rome at present but don't know about the others. Maybe Jon can get more info about them.
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Post by dgriffin on Feb 20, 2011 22:07:41 GMT -5
Dave, did it say where they were from? I know the guys in the Band, Little Ray and The Blazers, who played at the Forest were from the Rome/Syracuse area. Bz: It appears from their photo taken in 2008 to be a younger group of guys and their info on MySpace seems to say they're from Brooklyn. I can't find anything else on them. "Little Ray" must be a popular singer's name, or used to be. So to the Blazers, probably. |
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Post by jplatt on Feb 20, 2011 23:51:56 GMT -5
all these new people on line I hope I can get some of these guys to play this coming year of a least get there old band together.I will help in any way I can,if you need a player we will find one for you to fill that spot.All of us in Willie and the New yorkers and NY Express will fill your band for you.It's just takes one or two players from the old band you had and we can run with it.For me it's getting together with old friends and meeting new friends and helping the children in need.Last year I made many new friends,Jon,Dave,Angelo,Cindy,Josh and my dearest pal Bobbbiez.Please put your name in for this years reunion I do not want to be the only person there but if I have to I will play by myself.Let me hear from you guys or gals. Jay
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Yes Rod, spending a lot of time at the Forest Hotel I remember it exactly the way you described it as long as I can remember. They did have a fire there but can't remember what it looked like after they remodeled. I thought it was pretty much the same lay out. 
